The fallout from the decision by members of Congress to override President Obama's veto of a bill allowing US citizens to sue the government of Saudi Arabia for damages related to the 9/11 terror attacks is already becoming apparent, and Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell responded with some really extraordinary chutzpah.

The Kentucky Republican blamed President Obama for failing to show enough opposition to a bill that he literally vetoed.



The law the president rejected is the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or JASTA, which rolls back some of the foreign immunity protections that prevent sovereign countries from being sued in US courts. On Wednesday, though, the Senate voted 97-1 to override the veto, and the House followed up shortly thereafter with a 348-77 override vote.

Even before they voted to force the bill to become law over the president's objections, members of Congress were already acknowledging that opening the door to lawsuits against foreign governments in US courts would create a huge headache for the Departments of Defense and State, which have tens of thousands of personnel stationed abroad, and potentially for US businesses operating overseas.